EXCLUSIVE by PANORAMA reporter: There has been a firearm incident at Police Headquarters, resulting in a police officer being injured and being treated at the hospital.

The incident happened at the weekend, on Friday, when news started to filter to us. But even late yesterday the RGP had not issued any information about this serious matter. Only when questioned did they confirm our report.

Our information, as published in our printed edition, is that officers were returning their weapons to the RGP Armoury at New Mole House, and that a firearm was being cleared before being handed in. This is normal procedure when returning weapons to the armoury.

However, a live bullet was inside the barrel of this weapon. During the carrying out of these procedures, the weapon suddenly fired and a police officer received a shot to the leg.

An RGP firearm weapon used in certain operations and security patrols is known as the Glock which is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

Following the incident, the injured Police Officer, a sergeant, was rushed to St. Bernard's Hospital to treat the piece of ammunition lodged in his leg, said the information reaching us.

The officer was wounded when another weapon belonging to another officer was being discharged.

Sources said that there has been a lot of concern expressed by serving and ex-RGP officers about the lack and level of police firearms training, also that ACPO guidelines on the use of firearms have not been absolutely adhered to.
It is also understood that officers have resigned from performing firearms duties, as using a Police firearm is purely on a voluntary basis.

"We can confirm an incident at the Police armoury at New Mole House on Friday afternoon where there was a malfunction of a safety device used to unload weapons, causing a small fragment of shrapnel emanating from a
discharged bullet to escape from the device and hit the leg of a Police Officer supervising such procedure," said the Royal Gibraltar Police,and added: The Officer in question attended St Bernard's hospital and due to the minor nature of his injury and after receiving treatment at the A&E dept was sent back to work.
(16March2010).